In a pleasant twist for USA volleyball, a lot of our deal with the professionals the previous week has been domestically with the beginning of Athletes Limitless.
Whereas 44 execs, principally Individuals, are enjoying AU, the vast majority of prime gamers are again with their professional groups as seasons have begun.
Right here’s the primary of our weekly studies.
Italy
The defending champions, Imoco Conegliano, opened with a sweep of Trentino, and that included Khalia Lanier, who performed for the USA in Volleyball Nations League. Lanier, the previous USC star, had seven kills and an ace in her Conegliano debut. Veteran Madi Bugg, the setter from Stanford, had a block and an ace. The opposite two Individuals Kelsey Cook dinner and Kathryn Plummer, didn’t play. On the opposing facet, Carly DeHoog (Washington) led Trentino with 10 kills and an ace. Plummer’s teammate on the 2019 NCAA-title staff,Madeleine Gates, made her A1 debut and had six kills, three blocks and an ace.
Audriana Fitzmorris, who received three NCAA crowns with Plummer and was in Greece final yr, had three aces as she made her debut in A1 as Bergamo triumphed over Casalmaggiore in 5 units.
Scandicci swept Firenze. USA center Haleigh Washington was absent, however former Nebraska star center Lauren Stivrins made her debut for Firenze and had 4 kills and a block. Stivrins was damage within the final Athletes Limitless season in 2022 and couldn’t play final yr after signing with Firenze.
Milano crushed Busto Arsizio and Kara Bajema (Washington) had seven factors in her Milano debut. T’ara Ceasar (Florida) was a sub for Busto Arsizio. Ceasar missed the 2022/2023 season attributable to an ACL tear sustained whereas enjoying for her Polish staff. Dana Rettke (Wisconsin), who was a giant a part of the USA’s effort to clinch an Olympic bid, didn’t play.
One more Washington product, Courtney Schwan, helped Roma beat Vallefoglia in 5. She had 9 kills, two blocks and an ace.
Anna Stevenson-Corridor, the second-year professional from Louisville, was named MVP as Cuneo beat Pinerolo as they stormed again to win the fifth set. She had 13 kills (hitting .765) and a block. Nebraska’s Madi Kubik made her debut with Cuneo and had six factors.
Avery Skinner, the previous Kentucky and Baylor standout who performed with the USA in VNL, made her debut with Chieri. Novara received 25-20, 29-27, 27-25 however Skinner led Chieri with 13 kills (.407) and a block. Madi Kingdon Rishel, the Arizona product who has been with the nationwide staff however tried her hand on the seashore this summer season, added three kills.
TurkeyÂ
Play started with the Turkish Cup in a league that boasts loads of USA standouts.
Group A: Kuzeyboru swept PTT and Sarah Parsons (Minnesota), who had been Japan, had eight kills and a block. Payton Caffrey (Florida State) made her debut for PTT in its place, contributing two kills and an ace.
Kuzeyboru then secured a spot within the remaining spherical by defeating Nilufer as Parsons had 13 kills, two blocks and an ace.
PTT was eradicated when it was swept by Nilufer. Caffrey was the second prime scorer with 11 kills (.500).
Group B: SigortaShop battled to a 25-12, 23-25, 25-20, 25-27, 15-4 win over Cukurova as former Minnesota star Stephanie Samedy had 18 kills, a block and an ace for SigortaShop, whereas Texas-ex Micaya White added 9 kills and three aces. Russian Marina Markova (who performed at Syracuse and completed final yr at Florida) had a sensational debut with 36 kills, three blocks, and two aces.
Galatasaray beat SigortaShop in a five-set battle. Danielle Cuttino, the Purdue product who performed VNL, led Galatasaray with 17 kills, two blocks, and an ace. Texas nice Logan Eggleston contributed 11 kills and two aces. Samedy had 12 kills, whereas White had 17 kills, two aces and a block. Markova led with 22 kills, 4 aces, and a block.
Galatasaray was eradicated by Cukurova (25-17, 25-12, 25-19). Cuttino was held to 4 kills. Eggleston added 9 kills and an ace. Heather Gneiting(BYU) performed set and had three kils.
Group C: Sariyer swept Besiktas and Penn State’s Simone Lee made her staff debut with 15 kills, two aces and a block.
Sariyer began a profitable streak by defeating Karayollari in 4 units. Lee had eight kills, two blocks and two aces.
Sariyer then superior with a sweep of Aydin as Lee led all scorers with 24 factors on 19 kills (.750), three aces, and two blocks.
Germany
Stuttgart wanted a 20-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-23, 17-15 comeback to beat Wiesbaden as veteran Krystal Rivers (Alabama) led with 24 kills and 4 blocks. Alexis Hart (Minnesota) added three kills and an ace. Kayla Haneline (Northern Iowa) made her debut with reigning champs and had seven kills and 4 blocks. Jaidyn Blanchfield (additionally UNI) led Wiesbaden 10 factors. Temple alum Izabella Rapacz completed with 16 kills and two blocks.
Potsdam trailed in each set however got here away with the sweep over Dresdner. USA libero Justine Wong-Orantes (Nebraska), who performed all summer season with the nationwide staff, together with when it clinched the 2024 Paris Olympic bid, returned to the German league with Potsdam and was credited with 50% optimistic reception. Breland Morrissette (Georgia Tech) had a kill and a block. Tia Jimerson (Ohio) was named MVP for Dresdner as she had 9 kills, three blocks, and an ace in her debut. Grace Frohling (San Diego) led Dresdner with 11 kills and 4 blocks.
Gabby Goddard (USD) was named MVP for Aachen in a loss to perennial title contender Schwerin. She had three kills, 5 blocks and an ace.
Suhl routed Munster and Jacksonville State alum and German Lena Kindermann led with 20 kills (.485), two aces and a block. Julia Brown (NC State) adopted with 10 kills, 4 aces and three blocks. Jenny Mosser (UCLA, Kansas) had six kills, two aces and a block. Zoe Fleck, the previous UCLA and Texas NCAA champ who performed for the USA within the Pan Am Video games, was named MVP for Munster and was credited with 56% optimistic reception. Jenna Ewert (Colorado, Texas) set for Munster and had one block. Gloria Mutiri (Oregon) had three kills.
France
Nancy swept France 2024 and Katelyn Evans (West Virginia) contributed 10 kills in simply two units. Haylie Bennett (Oregon State) was named MVP as she had 11 kills and two blocks. Shayla Hoeft (Nevada, Portland) performed two units and had eight factors. Breanna Runnels (Colorada State, Tennessee) marked her French league debut with six kills and three blocks. Setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (Utah, Texas) had two blocks and an ace.
Nantes, trying to bounce again from its disappointing postseason, began with a sweep over Venelles. Taylor Mims (Washington State) and Jaelyn Keene (Illinois State) led Nantes with 12 factors apiece. Mims had 9 kills, two blocks and an ace and Keene completed with eight kills (.615), three blocks and an ace.
Mulhouse started their season by sweeping the defending champions, Volero Le Cannet (25-21, 25-22, 25-21). Carli Snyder (Florida) was named MVP for Mulhouse as she had 14 kills (.500). Jaali Winters (Creighton) added six kills and an ace in her return to France. Annayka Legros, the previous Coastal Carolina standout who had a breakout season final yr for Nancy, completed with 5 kills, two blocks and an ace.
Cannes squeaked out a fifth set victory to keep away from shedding to Chamalieres for the primary time (23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 15-10). Madelyn Robinson (BYU, Utah) led Cannes with 13 kills and three aces. Leah Meyer (Duke, Kentucky) had eight kills (.727), two blocks and two aces. Kari Zumach (Creighton) led a closely American-influenced Chamalieres with 16 kills. Hannah Clayton (Iowa) added 4 kills and a block. Sabrina Starks (Pittsburgh) completed with 4 kills, one block and an ace. Maggie Speaks (NC State) set and had a kill. Courtney Buzzerio (Iowa, Pittsburgh) performed briefly in its place.
Brazil
Callie Schwarzenbach (Nebraska) helped Osasco win its first title of the yr, the Paulista (state) championship, beating Pinheiros within the finals collection. Texas-ex Brionne Butler is on the staff.
Roni Jones-Perry (BYU) is about for her second season with SESC-RJ in Brazil. Final season, Jones-Perry performed an important function in serving to SESC-RJ attain the semifinals.
Jenna Grey (Stanford) and Annie Mitchem (Hawai’i) are embarking on their first enterprise in South America, each becoming a member of Minas. Minas, among the many most profitable golf equipment in Brazil, secured a second-place end final season after being the three-time defending champion.
Claire Felix (UCLA) is making her return to Brazil after three seasons in France with RC Cannes, becoming a member of Fluminense. Felix beforehand performed with Curitiba throughout the COVID-shortened season.
Japan
Annie Drews, the star USA reverse from Purdue, is about to return to Japan after enjoying half of final season in Italy, rejoining JT Marvelous. Drewsled JT Marvelous to the Japanese league remaining for 3 consecutive years, however the staff confronted a disappointing fifth-place end final yr.
Dani Drews (the Utah star, no relation) will be part of NEC Crimson Rockets. NEC shocked everybody with a title win final yr, and Drews, performed in Poland after which Athletes Limitless in 2022, is about to contribute to the staff’s title protection.
McKenzie Adams (Virginia, UTSA) is becoming a member of Hisamitsu Springs for her first season in Japan. Hana Okuhara, a Japanese-American graduate of California Baptist will even make her debut season with Hisamitsu Springs.
Across the World
We’ll have studies because the season goes on, however here’s a listing of different Individuals and their groups: